Alaska cruise with 6 and 8 year old...

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dbones5

Guest
Our daughter (who will be 8 next summer) is very into animals and nature (she absorbs anything that has to do with wildlife) and I'm thinking that an Alaskan cruise would be a dream come true vacation for her.

I've always thought of Alaskan cruises as something for "retirees" but I'm wondering if that's not true anymore and if so, are there any Alaskan cruises/cruise lines that would be more suitable for the younger set?

My thoughts are to try to plan something for next summer...weather-wise what would be better...May, June, July or August?

Thanks for any help!

Deb
 
C

Cruizer

Guest
Carnival and Royal Caribbean would provide the best experence for younger children. Realize that the wildlife in Alaska is truly wild. She is not going to be petting any bear cubs. Also, most excursions do not guarantee wildlife sightings (in 1999, when I went, there was one that did, or you received a refund).

That said, given her interest, she would very likely enjoy the cruise. However, the excursions that offer the best chance to see wildlife can be a bit pricey. She might enjoy the dog sled ride in Skagway. Of course she can pet the dogs. However, the transportation to and from the dog sled camp is via helicopter, which makes the excursion expensive. However, next time I go, I am going to book that one. Also, I believe you have a better chance of seeing a variety of wildlife (bears, eagles, whales ...) on a one way cruise (north or south bound) than on a round trip (out of Vancouver or Seattle). However, the one way cruises cost more.

The best weather is likely to be June and July. In 1999 we went at the end of July for 14 days and only had a little rain on the first day (which was a day at sea). The rest of the cruise was all sun. However, that is the exception. Most Alaska cruises involve clouds and some rain.

If you have the time (and money) you can take a pre or post cruise trip into Denali National Park.
 
C

Cruizer

Guest
Another thought. You can try a short cruise (four or five days) or a full week cruise, that stops in Cozumel. There your daugher can swim with the dolphins and/or seals (double check any age restrictions). A short cruise will give you a chance to sample cruising and then decide if you want to spend the money on a cruise to Alaska.

WARNING - if you do this, you, and your children, may become addicted to cruising! :)
 
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dbones5

Guest
oh believe me, our children are already addicted!

They were on a Disney Cruise when they were 3 and 4 and they STILL remember it!

My daughter has also expressed interest in "swimming with the dolphins" in Mexico (my husband and I were in the Mayan Riviera last year and that's on our list of future things as well.)

I think just being able to "see" the wildlife as well as the beauty of the scenery would be just as memorable for her. I've thought about doing another Caribbean cruise for them but I really believe an Alaskan cruise would offer them so much more of an educational experience and something to really remember.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Deb
 
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halfdome86

Guest
We've sailed Alaska with our son 3 times. He was ages 8-9-10. We sailed HAL, NCL, Celebrity. The kids programs were very similar on all 3 and they were all great. He had a great time on all 3 cruises. Since Alaska is a summer cruise there will be many kids of all ages. The clubs are sorted by age as well so kids are with other kids in their age group. Choose a cruise with the best itinerary and cost and don't worry about ships being kid friendly. They'll all be kid friendly.

Now about nature and wildlife viewing:

Take a whale watch trip in Juneau. Orca Enterprises (Capt. Larry) is terrific. You will see humpbacks and seals for sure, possibly orca, all very close up.
Also in Juneau take the bus to Mendenhall glacier. Besides the awsome glacier to be seen, if you walk to the end of the parking lot there is a bear viewing balcony over the creek. You may not see bears (we never did) but you will see salmon spawning. We were there in August. Note, it smells of dead fish too!

Bald eagles are everywhere. As you're heading to the whale watch or Mendenhall glacier, look at the marshes on the left of the road. If the tide's out there will be bald eagles all over the shoreline eating salmon. If you're lucky you'll see bald eagles sitting on light poles or on bldgs as well.

In Ketchikan, about a 5 minute walk from the ships is a salmon fish ladder. You will see salmon in the creek and also possibly jumping up the ladder. Take the funicular up to the hotel and walk down the married man's trail and you'll see some huge, gross, slugs on the ground too!

All of our trips were in August and we did spend a few days in Juneau once in July. The weather was almost always really good. You will get some rain along the way, that's almost a sure thing.

Enjoy the trip and wildlife.
 
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